Computer cooling keeps components within safe operating limits by removing waste heat. In some cases the Central Processing Unit (CPU) alone needs over 100 W of power, which must then be dissipated. Most computers remove the waste heat by using at least one of the following thermal modules: heat sinks, fans, water cooling, heat pipes, or phase change cooling. Conventional desktop computer designs have a relatively enough space for a large heat sink, and fan for regulating the operating temperature of an Integrated Circuit (IC). These conventional designs also include an independent loading mechanism (ILM), which when fastened secures the IC into an IC socket. Unfortunately, the ILM only comes into contact with the IC at 2 discrete points, resulting in uneven loading on the IC. The combination of both the thermal module and the ILM also requires multiple attachment positions on the printed circuit board (PCB) it is attached to. The attachment positions for the ILM fall outside of the footprint of the IC as they typically screw into a steel backer plate located below the PCB. The attachment positions for the thermal module fall even farther from the IC since they must fall outside of the footprint of the ILM. Unfortunately, because the screw attachments are located significantly outside the footprint of the IC they put a significant amount of torque on the PCB. Unopposed torque on the PCB below the IC could result in bending or crowning of the PCB, and could also prevent IC pins from seating properly. This means it is crucial for the backer plate to be strong enough to oppose the torque created at the attachment points. In addition to being rather tall, this attachment configuration also takes up a lot of board space on the PCB.
Small form factor computers typically use the same processors as their larger desktop counterparts. Unfortunately, as discussed above, all the components that are required to cool a desktop class CPU take up a significant amount of room. Space or volume is at a premium in small form factor computer environments and it is essential that any heat removal system must be able to maximize heat transfer while minimizing the space occupied Therefore a way to reduce the space taken up by the CPU cooling components in a small form factor computer is desired.